Page 88 of The Kraken Games

He dipped back into the sea. “I’ll swim on the surface now so you can keep up. Want to come back in and we’ll play?”

Luna slid off the rock to be with him, her mind buzzing, her pulse racing with a sudden realization.

Because if Tom had gills fitted, then maybe so could she.

She barely dared let her mind touch on what that might mean.

CHAPTER 29

Much later, as they sat around in the moonlight, the merfolk playing their instruments as delicious food was brought out, Luna gazed around at the merry crowd.

She tried not to think of tomorrow, tried to focus on the feast, which was made up of all kinds of land and sea-based food. On one side of her sat Tomas—no,Tom. She had to get used to calling him Tom now. And opposite her sat Kai. Their eyes kept snagging across the table as they ate and laughed and talked.

Her heart felt like it had a weight tied around it, despite her joy at finding her brother.

She tried not to think ahead to tomorrow, to saying goodbye to Kai.

Luckily, Letitia’s question brought her back. “So, Luna, what have you been doing all these years?”

Luna told them her story. About her difficult early years, and horrible old Edith, and working in her warehouse job. The Mer folk all looked horrified.

“I did okay,” she reassured them as Tom reached out and touched her arm solicitously, his face full of love and concern. Everyone here was just so caring… it was kind of… confronting.

She couldn’t look at Kai or she knew she’d end up a blubbering mess. “I—er, you know, I have a few good friends, and I learned to fight. That sounds bad, I guess. I decided to compete to make the kraken tell me what happened to my family, and then… this guy here he let me win so I could bargain with the kraken.”

“Wow! You are some strong gal,” Letitia said.

“I had to be. I was determined to find Tomas. And now, finding out that you live so close,” she smiled at her brother, “is wonderful, and kind of sad too.”

Brooke nodded her agreement. “We’re so sorry about that. If we’d known, we would have tried to get some secret squirrel message to you. But we were sworn to never talk about Tom when we took him. The kraken were worried about reprisals from humans. Our community was a good choice—we don’t mix with other species except on market days; we keep the outside world out. So we raised him as one of our own. He knew he was a human foundling, but only recently have we told him the whole story, at least what we know of it… but yes, we do lead a sheltered life here, and Tom has not yet ventured into the wider world.”

“Can he, is that allowed?”

“When he is eighteen, he will be able to attend the markets in Motham. When he’s twenty-one he gets the key to the sea, so he can choose where he goes. I guess he could choose to live on land, but we kind of hope he doesn’t.”

“I can’t imagine wanting to be land bound.” Tom looked at his Mer family, then at Luna. “But wherever you are Luna, I will visit often.”

Wherever she was.A crazy image came to mind. Of living under the sea. Somehow. Impossible. Stupid. Was she going soft in the head now that she’d found Tomas?

Since she’d spied his gills?

She felt Kai’s intense gaze resting on her again. She glanced at him then quickly away, and grabbed another oyster.

“And you guys,” Letitia looked from Kai to Luna. “Are you…”

“Had this conversation already, luv, with Kai. Don’t go there.” Brooke winked. Now Luna’s eyes did fly to Kai’s. What on earth had he said to the Mer clan leader?

She saw him blush, but before he could answer she chirped, “We’re just friends.” Somehow, she sensed Kai flinch. “I couldn’t have found you Tom, without Kai’s help. His,” she swallowed hard, “friendship has meant so much—his support has helped me to be here. It’s been a journey for sure.” She barked out a laugh. “More like a roller coaster ride, these past few weeks, to be honest.”

Just a few weeks. Was that all? It felt like Kai had always been in her life. And she would have to go back to it without him. Suddenly it was hard to swallow the delicious food in front of her.

And all the while, Kai was strangely quiet, as if deep in thought.

After they’d eaten, they sat around and listened to music and songs. Eventually, Brooke showed them to their cave, a special one for the very occasional guest, she explained, well away from the water to cater for land dwellers and their friends. And then she winked again.

Soon they were tucked up in the beds that had been made for them out of the dune grasses that grew on the sandhills nearby. Knowing Kai was next to her, it was hard not to throw back her coverlet and go lie with him on his rock. In the end, Luna could take it no longer. She got up, snuck over, and lay down next to him.

“Kai?”

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